SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTO-CONFIGURING A USER EQUIPMENT DEVICE WITH CONTENT CONSUMPTION MATERIAL

• US 20140258481A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Lundell, Gregory James
• Granted Patent: US 9,848,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for auto-configuring a newly purchased user equipment (UE) device with content consumption material that is associated with a user. These methods and systems are provided by way of receiving, in response to the user having purchased the UE device, purchase information (e.g., a credit card number) and a UE device identifier (e.g., a serial number of a purchased UE device). After receipt of this information, a database is searched to identify a user account that is associated with the purchase information. The user account identifies content consumption material that has been processed by other UE devices to enable the user to consume content. A communication is then transmitted to the UE device that causes the UE device to be configured with the identified content consumption material.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring a newly purchased user equipment (UE) device with content consumption material that is associated with a user, the method comprising:

receiving, in response to the user having purchased the UE device, purchase information and a UE device identifier;

searching a database of user account information to identify a user account based on the received purchase information, wherein the identified user account identifies the content consumption material that is associated with the user; and

automatically transmitting to the UE device, based on the UE device identifier, a communication that causes the UE device to be configured with the content consumption material identified by the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic transmission to the UE device occurs when at least one of the following determinations is made:

the UE device has been powered on for the first time;

the UE device is configured with factory settings;

the UE device has accessed the Internet for the first time;

additional user login information has been registered to the UE device for the first time; and

a user request has been received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises information associated with the identified content consumption material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the database further comprises:

determining a set of a plurality of content consumption material that is compatible with the UE device based on the UE device identifier; and

retrieving the set for use as the content consumption material.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the UE device with the content consumption material by;

processing, by the UE device, the transmitted communication to identify the content consumption material identified by the user account;

determining which of a plurality of applications associated with the identified content consumption material are not already configured on the UE device;

downloading, by the UE device, the applications determined to not already be installed; and

modifying a platform of the UE device to include a module for each downloaded application, each module when selected by the user executes the corresponding downloaded application to enable the user to consume content using the corresponding downloaded application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content consumption material that is associated with the user has been processed by another UE device to enable the user to consume content prior to the user having purchased the UE device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase information includes at least one of a credit card number, a bank account number, a username, an identifier of an entity that is configured to provide funds for completing the purchase, and an address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE device identifier is at least one of a serial number of the UE device, an IP address of the UE device, a unique indicator of the UE device, and a MAC address of the UE device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content consumption material includes at least one of a user profile setting, a device setting, a username, a password, and an application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the UE device receives the communication, the UE device automatically downloads an application identified by the content consumption material.

11. A system for automatically configuring a newly purchased user equipment (UE) device with content consumption material that is associated with a user, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive, in response to the user having purchased the UE device, purchase information and a UE device identifier;

search a database of user account information to identify a user account based on the received purchase information, wherein the identified user account identifies the content consumption material that is associated with the user; and

automatically transmit to the UE device, based on the UE device identifier, a communication that causes the UE device to be configured with the content consumption material identified by the user account.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the automatic transmission to the UE device occurs when at least one of the following determinations is made:

the UE device has been powered on for the first time;

the UE device is configured with factory settings;

the UE device has accessed the Internet for the first time;

additional user login information has been registered to the UE device for the first time; and

a user request has been received.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication comprises information associated with the identified content consumption material.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a set of a plurality of content consumption material that is compatible with the UE device based on the UE device identifier; and

retrieve the set for use as the content consumption material.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

configure the UE device with the content consumption material by;

processing, by the UE device, the transmitted communication to identify the content consumption material identified by the user account;

determining, by the UE device, which of a plurality of applications associated with the identified content consumption material are not already configured on the UE device;

downloading, by the UE device, the applications determined to not already be installed; and

modifying, by the UE device, a platform of the UE device to include a module for each downloaded application, each module when selected by the user executes the corresponding downloaded application to enable the user to consume content using the corresponding downloaded application.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the content consumption material that is associated with the user has been processed by another UE device to enable the user to consume content prior to the user having purchased the UE device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the purchase information includes at least one of a credit card number, a bank account number, a username, an identifier of an entity that is configured to provide funds for completing the purchase, and an address.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the UE device identifier is at least one of a serial number of the UE device, an IP address of the UE device, a unique indicator of the UE device, and a MAC address of the UE device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the content consumption material includes at least one of a user profile setting, a device setting, a username, a password, and an application.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein, when the UE device receives the communication, the UE device automatically downloads an application identified by the content consumption material.

21-30. -30. (canceled)